The Voting Rights Act has been the single most effective and indispensable tool in American history for protecting the right to vote of racial minorities. It has given all Americans a voice, ensuring our country lives up to its principles of equality and fairness.

Shelby County, Alabama, however, has challenged a major provision of the Act, Section 5, which requires Alabama and other jurisdictions with egregious and continuing histories of discrimination in voting to pre-clear changes in their voting practices to ensure they do not have a discriminatory purpose or effect. The Supreme Court will hear Shelby County's challenge (Shelby County v. Holder) later this month, and whatever its outcome, the impact upon minority voting rights will be profound. The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP is a part of this case to defend the constitutionality of Section 5 and ensure the Voting Rights Act stays intact.

In Alabama, we have fought hard for our cherished right to vote. The Selma march and the sacrifices made by far too many in the civil rights movement spurred the country toward the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eradicated discriminatory practices such as poll taxes and literacy tests. Alabama is one of many places that saw the fruits of this, as the minority vote finally expanded, and our state and nation became a stronger democracy.

Today, the attack on the right to vote comes in modern forms, but the need for voting rights protections is as great as ever. As we saw in the 2012 election, restrictive voting laws continue to chip away at our fundamental right to vote - and overwhelmingly, it is people of color who are targeted.

The need for the Voting Rights Act is as great today as it has ever been because of state legislators' misguided efforts to take this right away from some. The Voting Rights Act is how we defend against Texas redrawing its district lines to suppress the Hispanic vote, South Carolina imposing burdensome ID requirements that many African-Americans living in rural areas can't meet, or Florida making it extremely difficult to register new voters, particularly people of color.

Elderly Southern women must not be barred from voting because they were born to midwives and not issued a birth certificate. Politicians cannot be allowed to meddle with redistricting lines in a way that prevents minority neighborhoods from having a say about who should represent them. And states should not easily be allowed to cut early voting, which may be the only opportunity for a single mother to cast a ballot while juggling work and family responsibilities.

This is why the Voting Rights Act is so essential. In Alabama and 15 other states covered in whole or in part by Section 5, this historic law is what keeps us from repeating past mistakes. It puts a crucial system of checks and balances in place to ensure such ill-conceived proposals never see the light of day. Without it, many blacks, Hispanics and others would have been prevented from casting a ballot in the November election, as well as many before it.

Voting is what brings us together as Americans, strengthens our democracy and puts us all on equal footing. Inside the voting booth is where we are all equal, whether we are rich or poor, black or white, young or old. We have the Voting Rights Act to thank for that, as it has allowed us to translate principles of justice and equality into reality. It has been and will continue to be the most powerful weapon in the ongoing battle against racial discrimination in voting. We must ensure this vital tool lives on.